Cute Little Neighbor
by Paladins
Summary: Gan Ning had, for all intent and purposes, gone to his cute neighbor's apartment to convince her to give him a chance.  He'd actually planned.  The thing was, he was now drenched wet, and stuck in a closet with said cute neighbor.


Gan Ning had, for all intent and purposes, gone to his cute neighbor's apartment to convince her to give him a chance. He'd actually planned. The thing was, he was now drenched wet, and stuck in a closet with said cute neighbor. And if she didn't stop wiggling her ass, he was going to have a serious, _bigger_ issue to deal with than the fact that her roommate had shown up.

He'd been living in his apartment for a couple years, and had been mildly surprised a year back when the beautiful thing had shown up with a pickup truck full of furniture and a moving van following. He had quickly appeared down to help her with the moving in process. He learned at that point that her name was Da Qiao, she had a sister in law named Sun Shang Xiang with a godly rack, and a set of guy friends that all threatened to castrate him if he so much as leered at her. Especially that one guy with the scar on his face. He seemed particularly menacing when it came to Da Qiao and her sister, Xiao Qiao. Who was not as beautiful, but twice as sickeningly sweet and adorable.

It took five months for him to get the story. Apparently she'd been married to her high school sweetheart. They were the sort of couple that made movies jealous. The sort of perfection that even princesses and their princes couldn't touch, or something. But Mister Perfection had become some menacing soldier and died in duty. Leaving the young woman a grieving widow at the age of twenty two. She had moved into his town to finish college, transferring so she could get into the Fashion Design program. It wasn't her 'passion' apparently, but the degree held better than one in Art or Photography. So, that's what she was doing.

Her roommate, Zhen Ji, had moved in four months ago, and the two seemed to become the 'best friends that annoy each other' type. Gan Ning didn't try to understand women and their relationships with each other. They were beyond him and his pathetic male mind. But she was curvy, beautiful, and was already beginning to make it big as a model. Apparently she was finally getting it with an actual big name company. But the important part was that she was supposed to be gone for a long while, staying with her boyfriend and going to meetings or something.

He had been mildly hitting on Da Qiao for her duration of the year she'd been there. She had, just as easily as he showered her with lustful attention, blown him off as the womanizing playboy that he was- before she'd even heard of his reputation- and held him at a distance. He had taken pity on her story, she was still mourning and hadn't been able to hold a real relationship since the death of her beloved Sun Ce and so he had only given her the flirtation attention he gave to just about anything above legal age and with cunt.

At some point that playful fixation he had on his little neighbor had turned into something more. He hadn't been paying attention, and it had gone from staring at her ass and bugging her for some cooking to actual conversations. Fucking how was beyond him, but it had. And, from there, he simply had to kiss conventional thought and his harem of women goodbye. He'd lost interest in them slowly, and before he knew it he was bothering her and Zhen Ji more often than was healthy for his bachelor lifestyle.

So, Zhen Ji was supposedly gone- he'd gotten his information from Zhou Tai who was a surprisingly awesome drinking buddy with him and Lu Meng- and had knocked on her door. He was wearing one of his nicer shirts. Nothing that would tip her off that things were awkward, but it was more than his almost permanent wife beater, or his casual 'no shirt' take to laundering around the complex. His jeans were the non ripped kind, and he'd found his belt. He was feeling pretty damn good at that point about his chances. An hour of staring at himself in the mirror and chanting good thoughts did that to his already inflated ego.

Da Qiao answered the door, pushing back a stray lock of black hair with her wrist. She was wearing her apron, the splatter of paint across her cheek and hands told him what she was doing. She stared up at him with wide eyes; she was amazingly petite in comparison to most women. "Gan Ning. Is it lunch time already?" she asked, glancing behind her for a clock.

"It's like, two or something," he said with a shrug.

"Oh. Well, come in, please," she said, stepping to the side and locking the door behind him. He walked through the near exact apartment as his. Except now there was a cover over the couch and a huge canvas was in front of the window, half painted with the background of war apparently. She walked passed him, wiping her hands on her apron again, glancing at him and then the canvas.

She quickly explained. "Diao Chan is commissioning me for a sort of mural to hang up in her condo. Her fiancé is quite particular about art, I guess. None of that frilly lace of deer and pretty people dancing in a ballroom." She shrugged. "It's something new, and paying for dinner."

Gan Ning nodded his head in understanding. Lu Bu was something else. He moved to sit at the barstool next to the island, reclining back to watch her. She, of course, noticed and avoided his gaze by making her way into the kitchen and asking if he wanted anything, already reaching for some of the beer Zhen Ji kept stocked. "Thanks," he said, taking it and trying to make some sort of eye contact. She avoided that by turning and going back to her paintbrushes.

"Have you eaten already?" she asked.

"No," he said causally. And then quickly amended, "But that's not why I'm here."

"Oh?" Her attention was caught now. She blinked, now making all the eye contact he no longer wanted. Gan Ning took a large swig of his beer, trying to make some liquid confidence that wasn't going to happen. As if one beer would do anything for him. "Then, why?"

He chocked a bit on the beer, and she instantly went into a worried frantic panic over him. Which didn't help with his growing awkward feel of approaching her this way. Obviously, something was happening wrong. "I'm fine," he said after a gag, holding her hand that was pressed against his chest.

"Don't drink so fast," she chastised, glaring up at him. He coughed, slowly removing her hand. She glanced down at their hands, and started to blush. Right up until she saw that she now had gotten paint all over his jeans and shirt. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she said, instantly panicking again.

"What?" he said stupidly before letting go of her now flailing hands to look down. She had leaned in to check on him, and pressed her apron against him apparently. He would later berate himself for not _feeling_ those curves and knowing about it without having it pointed out to him. At that moment, the conductor of his train of thought pulled the brakes and he couldn't decide how to rightly respond to the mess.

"I am so sorry!" she said again, pressing her hands against her face and chewing on her bottom lip. "I can get the paint out! I promise. Just… bring me back your clothes and I can clean them right up. You're not wearing white and so I can clean them." She was repeating herself.

"Don't worry about it," Gan Ning said, trying to stop her floundering. This wasn't going right, damn it all. He stood up, and she took steps back, still looking horribly devastated. She then began to trip on her pile of books, and he grabbed her. Only to have the weight wrong and for them both to fall. She screamed, and he went deaf in one ear as they landed with a thud.

"I am so sorry!" she said again, staring down at him, pressing her small hands against his person to check for injuries. "Now you're a real mess," she mumbled.

Gan Ning could feel the paint now, soaking his clothes and cold against his skin. He mentally went through his long list of curses, picking the curiously unique ones to mentally scream loudly. When he opened his eyes he felt a bit better. And hopefully didn't look as devastated as she did. "Don't worry about it, angel. It's just clothes and maybe a bruise. Nothing to shed a tear over."

"I'm not crying," she said flatly, looking from his shirt to his face with a glare. As if he was committing a crime by making light of this scenario. He might have been. The canvas had toppled over, possibly ruining her piece; he had paint all over, his elbow and hip hurt. But she was still lying on top of him, and the silver lining was always the most important part right? She squirmed, and he let her go so she could stand and check on her painting. He sat up, rubbing his hip and pulling his shirt up and pushing down his pants some to check for the possible bruise. He glanced up to see her blushing and staring a bit, holding the canvas awkwardly.

He couldn't resist. "Like you some cheesecake, angel?" he said with a panty ruining smirk and pulling the shirt farther up.

Her lips pursed tightly and she turned away from him with a huff, face glowing red. She stiffly fixed the canvas, apparently the smudges were fixable in her opinion. He stood with his normal lack of pretty grace and leaned on the couch. When she turned back to him she was calm again, her usual doll like face in that fake and perfected expression of demure lady. "Alright, you can't leave like that. You'll get paint everywhere. You can use our shower. Zhen Ji should have some of her boyfriend's clothes around. I'll look for them and start washing your clothes, Gan Ning."

The idea of wearing anything belonging to Zhen Ji's current arm candy was as appealing as having a lead pipe consistently beat against his head for hours. Apparently that read on his expression. "Fine," she said, probably understanding. Cao Pi was an asshole and his clothes probably wouldn't fit. "I'll start the wash and then go and get some clothes from your apartment. Is it unlocked?"

"Yeah," he said, pulling his shirt off altogether. She was probably going to say something else, but her mouth snapped shut and she took his shirt mutely. He went for his pants, entirely unashamed of walking around in his boxers. She however flustered and panicked. He was herded to the shower, and he had to shove his pants through a crack in the door.

He leaned against the cold tile of the shower, letting the water warm against his stomach and chest. This had gone from possibly working to actually probably being better than it looked. She was obviously affected by him. That was obviously a good thing. She at least liked his body. And, hell, he'd take what he could get at this point. He didn't expect it to be easy. Of course, he also didn't expect to get tongue tied, or to have her apartment apparently conspiring against him. Or for him? He rubbed at his scalp as he mulled over that. He did like her on top of him.

He had a criminal record. He'd spent time in juvie, honestly. He got into fights. He flirted. A lot. He had a thing for girls. Lots of girls. He was uncouth, an asshole, and he didn't make excuses for it. The simple fact was that he wasn't what Da Qiao was probably looking for. He was the opposite of what she wanted probably. She wanted safe. He rode a motorcycle and had too many tattoos to make him 'introduce to daddy' material.

The problem was he _knew _they weren't only good for each other; they were right for each other.

He watched the drain until the water ran clear, and then he turned the water off and reached for a towel He'd be damned if he used her fruity soap. She had snuck in a shirt and some pants for him. He didn't even try to suppress the smirk against the idea of her in the room he was showering in, but those were better thoughts for later. He shoved on the pants, left the shirt on the sink counter, and tossed the towel over his head as he walked out to see how she was doing.

Two minutes later she had shoved him into the coat closet near the door, the vacuum digging into his hip and one of Zhen Ji's thick fur coats suffocating him. "Shush!" Da Qiao hissed up at him, pressed against him as well. She was much nicer than the vacuum. "I'm supposed to be at Xiao's," she explained.

"So you're not."

"Exactly. And Zhen Ji has come over. I've known she's been taking things," she muttered accusingly, eyes narrowing.

"What?"

"I've been missing dresses and skirts," Da Qiao explained quietly, and they heard the door click shut. She pushed her hands against his chest, pointedly ignoring that he had not shirt probably, and twisted to look over her shoulder. "And when I find them again they're stretched."

"She fits into your things?"

"I'm not that small, and she likes them tight," she said hurriedly. She than began to shimmy and twist, trying to turn so she could peak out the door. Which was where he was currently at. Her, rubbing her ass against him as she tried to spy on her apparently criminal roommate, and him trying to remember what it was like to bathe in ice. It really wasn't working. He fixed the towel around his neck, fighting with the fur coat to try and preoccupy himself. "Which room did she- That's my red dress!" she hissed, knuckled turning white as she clung to the door and doorframe.

Gan Ning leaned to the side to try and get a look as well because apparently it was a pretty damn important red dress. Forgetting momentarily the problem. Which meant now he rubbed against her, instead of the other way around. Da Qiao stilled near instantly, looking over her shoulder, jaw dropped in shock. "Well, if you'd stop wiggling your ass," he said. He didn't blush, but he had the smarts to at least look a little upset over it all. Her face twisted into shocked disgust now as she stared up at him.

She, face glowing again, turned back to try and spot Zhen Ji and ignored him for all she was worth. A moment of awkward silence, and then, "She isn't leaving." Da Qiao sounded desperate. He didn't much blame her, considering what was pressed against her ass.

"Why the hell not?" Gan Ning asked, keeping his hands out of his pockets and away from her hips. Which left them awkwardly holding him standing by pressing them against the opposite walls to his sides. Zhen Ji was a bitch, even when she didn't know the situation. That was fucking talent.

"I don't know. I can't see her," she hissed back, trying hard not to wiggle as she tried to see around to the kitchen.

"What the hell. Let me out of the closet," he said.

"No!" she said, almost too loud. "She can't know we were in here, together." Her face went another ten shades darker. "The indecency of this. She'd never let me live it down."

"You're the one that shoved me in the closet, babe."

She glared at him over her shoulder. "For good reason. I've finally caught her stealing my clothes. And I think I saw her with my necklace. The bitch." It was the first time he'd heard Da Qiao curse. It was a shocker. She didn't seem to notice though.

"Then pop out of the closet, and catch her," he hissed back, gritting his teeth. She was trying not to move, but damn it, it was a fucking small closet.

"No! Not with you here." She turned back to watch for Zhen Ji, pressing back against him as she slowly opened the door a little bit more. Gan Ning tried very hard not to think about that. Then he heard Zhen Ji's laugh. As if she was laughing at them. She couldn't be, but Gan Ning wasn't exactly in his best state and fuck Zhen Ji, she loved dragging him through the mud. And Da Qiao still was moving.

Fuck it. _Fuck it_. And he was going to fuck her. That was his general train of thought as Da Qiao shoved herself back against him, closing the door as Zhen Ji walked through the apartment again. He sucked in a tight string of air, and Da Qiao stiffened to mutter an apology. Being gentlemanly was his plan. And this was what he got for planning, Gan Ning figured. Cosmic retribution for planning, or something. Well, they could all fuck off, because he was done with the plan.

He grabbed her hips, his hands nearly spanning her whole waist, and he ground his own against her. Her mouth dropped, her hands going to his, nails digging into his knuckles. A twist of his hand he thread his fingers through hers, holding her hand away. His other hand trailed up, over her stomach across the side of her breast, and to her chin. She sucked in her breath, trying hard to get enough air. He tipped her chin, and bent to steal a hot kiss.

That hand he held gripped his tightly, and the other reached around to grip his pants leg desperately. It was awkward, between the small closet space and her back to him. Not to mention he was almost a full head taller than her. But she kissed back as desperately as he wanted her too, leaning back and standing on her toes. He wrapped his hand around her waist, holding her tight.

He finally let up, licking his lips as she fell back, knees weak, and gasped for air. "What was that?" she asked finally, pushing away her hair and glaring at him.

"A thank you kiss?" he said, probably too smug for it. The lack of commitment he gave to his shrug probably didn't help.

"A thank you kiss? For what?" she hissed, spinning around, ignoring his grunt of pain when she hit him wrong in her quick turn, and planted her hands on her hip. Defiance, anger, quick and easy to replace what she had been feeling. He could handle this.

"A lap dance." Her face was _priceless_. She jabbed him in the ribs, and he grunted, hunching over her with a chuckle. That was a practiced, painful jab of her knuckles. She did it before. Sun Ce must have been a real smartass.

"You bast-jerk!" she seethed. She was still pressed flush against him though. Silver lining, he thought. "How dare you!"

"I dare a lot," he said, bending to steal a light kiss again. She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, and she pressed herself against the door. Except it was never clicked closed. She fell out of the coat closet and flat onto her back. He stepped out and leaned against the doorframe, pulling the towel off and tossing it towards the couch. She glared up at him, clothes and hair damp from his shower. "Don't look so angry, angel."

"You kissed me!" she accused.

"Guilty as charged." He was too damn smug, and he knew it.

"He kissed you? In the coat closet?" Zhen Ji said, walking out of the bathroom, holding his shirt with a raised eyebrow. Da Qiao looked ready to die at that moment. "How kinky," she said flatly.

"Did you put my clothes back?" Da Qiao asked, trying to stand. Gan Ning easily swooped and got her on her feet, then walking passed her to the kitchen to nab a beer.

Zhen Ji lost her smirk. "Pardon?"

"Please not the red dress. I _like_ the red dress, Zhen Ji. Put it back. I don't care about the necklace really. I mean, if you're desperate for it, whatever," Da Qiao said with a wave of her hand.

Zhen Ji floundered for a long moment, before stomping past, shoving Gan Ning's shirt in Da Qiao's hands and reaching for her bag. She then stomped into the room, came back out after some slamming drawers and stopped to snarl at Da Qiao. "I am _never_ desperate," she said, right up in Da Qiao's face before leaving the apartment with a slam of the front door. Gan Ning snickered, sitting back in his barstool.

Da Qiao snapped at that point and looked ready to strangle him with his shirt. He needed to clean up quick. He stood up and held his arms up when she looked ready to attack him. "So, she's gone now."

"Much good it does me now," Da Qiao nearly screamed, throwing his shirt at him.

"Hey, babe."

"No! This isn't… Zhen Ji hates me now. And… and you're a jerk."

"Let me make it up for you," he said, stooping again to look her in the eyes.

"Get out, Gan Ning," she said, shaking her head and sounding defeated.

"Come on."

"Get out of my home, Gan Ning." She turned around throwing her arms up in the air.

"Let me take you out to dinner some time, angel," he said, throwing the shirt over his head and fighting for the sleeves. "Like tonight. Or now. Lunch." He smiled handsomely.

"Why?" she said, turning back to look at him again. "You don't want…"

"Don't tell me what I don't want, angel." He cupped her cheek. "I want you. Da Qiao. And I am offering you dinner, with me paying."

She stuttered a bit, staring from his face to her hands and back. "And why?"

"I need a reason to want to take a pretty girl to dinner?"

She glared at him, and Gan Ning matched it with his great smile. "You are going to take me somewhere nice and not dressed like that. Tomorrow night. Now get out."

He kissed her again, quick and chaste, and gave a chuckle. "You're cute when you try to be intimidating, babe." He then took his beer and left the apartment, ignoring her loud strangled noise of suppressed anger.

_So, yeah. It's the cliche closet scene that you can find just about anywhere. I don't know, but the plunny attacked me on this. I had to tweak Gan Ning some. He's not entirely my _**Apartment**_ Gan Ning persona. More like a toned down version of that here. I know Da Qiao seems a bit sparse too. I don't like it, but since I was trying to limit the POV to just Gan Ning (I'm pretty damn sure I wasn't able to do it all the way through... I fail at anything not 3rd omniscient POV)._

_Anyway, this is the first I've written Gan Ning and Da Qiao as a couple. And I makes me happy since I really do like this couple. Almost as much as Sun Ce and Da Qiao. _

_Reviews make me happy too.  
_


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